Rena and Ashton: An Alternate Destiny
by Benit149
Summary: What if Claude never arrived at Expel, yet the same events in Rena's point of view occurred? Of course, some twists and turns are made which develop an awkward friendship into something more...
1. Default Chapter

  
  

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RENA AND ASHTON: AN ALTERNATE DESTINY

PART 1: RENA'S TROUBLE, ASHTON'S BARGAIN 

FANFIC NOTES: This takes place in an alternate universe, so some situations change. Two major events are Claude never coming to Expel, and this taking place at the beginning of the game. More notes will be made in a seperate section from the fanfic. 

--Benit 

****

Rena Lanford, a seventeen-year old girl with blue hair and oddly pointed ears, sat cross-legged in the lush grass of the Shingo Forest, absorbing herself into it's natural landscape. To her, this was paradise. She didn't care what her mother, Westa Lanford, thought about this place being dangerous. True, the mysterious meteor, nicknamed 'the Sorcery Globe' by the people of Expel, had landed in the continent of El three months ago, but nothing serious had been happening in the continent of Cross, where Rena was. 

_Mother's just being a hen. It's not like anything's going to happen in this peaceful place. It's surroundings are too serene for monsters..._ she thought as she breathed in a heavy sigh. She thought to what her errands were that she had to run, and recalled that she needed to buy some groceries for her mother. A good childhood friend of hers, Alen, was visiting for dinner, and Rena wanted to make sure that it was prepared right, especially since he was the son of the mayor of the neighbouring mining town of Salva. 

Rena stood up, stretched, and brusquely strided out of the forest. As she approached the creek bridge, she noticed a figure standing, watching the water flow underneath the wooden arch. Rena came close enough to recognize who the person was. 

"Alen!?" Rena called out, running up to him. Alen perked as he gazed at her approaching figure in a calm manner. Rena halted in front of him, gasping for air as she asked, "What're you doing here now? I thought you were supposed to come tonight! We haven't even started cooking dinner yet!" 

"That's all right. I wanted to come see you..." Alen said, his words slowing down at the end of his statement. He brushed his silver hair back as if straightening it out for some reason. Rena blinked. "Me?" 

"Yes..." Alen quickly turned around. Rena found his behaviour very strange, and her suspicions were further amplified as she started to hear him chuckling nastilly, but he was trying to keep it down. He shook his head and faced Rena again. 

"I came here to tell you... about..." Alen faltered. 

"What is it, Alen?" Rena questioned concernedly. 

"About our wedding ceremony!" the man suddenly bursted out. Rena's heart skipped a beat. She might have been a good friend to Alen, but she certainly wasn't THAT intimate with him! And the idea of marriage never even occurred to her. 

"Alen... what're you talking about! I don't want to marry you!" Rena shouted, taking some steps back. She could see something glowing a hideous purple in Alen's pocket as he lunged forward to grab Rena's wrist. His grip was too tight for her to struggle out, plus the insane look in his eyes frightened her too much for her to do anything about it. She, subconsciously, put two and two together and figured out that whatever the glowing thing in his pocket was, it was the source of Alen's newfound craziness. 

"Alen! Let go of me! I'm not marrying you! Do you hear me!?" Rena tried to struggle, but to no avail. Alen kept laughing maniacally as he dragged Rena towards the village of Arlia. 

****

An elderly man had witnessed the assault and warned Westa, Father Belding, and Mayor Regis about it. They and a couple of other townsfolk already made a blockade at the exit of Arlia when Alen approached, Rena still in his grasp. Westa stepped forward first, screaming Rena's name. 

"Mother, don't come close! Alen's gone mad!" she warned her mother and the blockading townspeople. 

"Hear me, Regis. If you people don't move out of the way, I'll kill Rena before I get all of you!" Alen threatened to mayor. Mayor Regis slowly stepped forward, using his cane to assist him. He reasoned, "Alen, we'll let you through, but only if you let Rena free." 

"Never!" 

Westa was infuriated by now, running towards Rena as she shrieked, _"Let my daughter go!!"_ She was thrown back by a purple shockwave emitting from Alen's outstretched hand as he shouted, "MAKE ME!!!" 

Rena had every reason to be worried for the people she loved. She had no choice, but she pleaded, "Everyone, let us through. I'll be all right." 

"Rena, you can't be serious!" the priest exclaimed. 

"You saw what he did to Mother. He won't hesitate to do the same against you. Just listen to me and let us through!" 

Everyone was silent for a moment until Mayor Regis ordered, "Let them through." Everyone was reluctant, but they stepped aside for Alen and Rena to pass. 

"Hah! You idiots should've thought of that earlier!" Alen laughed as he dragged Rena out of Arlia. Westa watched her daughter be abducted, and there wasn't a single thing she, or anyone in Arlia, could do about it. The only thing she could do was pray that Rena would utilize her martial arts skills and survive against Alen. 

****

Earlier that day... 

"*burp!* Did you hear?" one man in the Rough and Tumble tavern asked one of his friends. He took another swig of alcohol as he gurgled, "Salva's been recruitin' people to go slay a two-headed dragon that's been bugging miners recently! *burp!*" 

"Guuhh... why should we care?" his friend slobbered drunkenly. 

"I dunno... maybe because more people are coming here for some good times a lot more than before. *burp!*" 

"Yeah, but at least it'll shut that bartender up about sales falling through the floor. I couldn't stand him bitching and complaining about the taps being full. Now he's bitching and complaining about the guys drinking straight from them! I tell you, that guy needs to use his sales and buy a clue!" 

The first man slammed his glass onto the counter, moaning, "Yeah, but who's gonna go risk their life to slay a DRAGON, dummy?" 

"I swear, that mayor outgha do something about it. Or let his crazy son go out and give him a reality check. The adventurers these people send just suck, and no one ever hears from them again. It's all over for Salva. Come on, let's swig the day and night away!" 

****

"Get in here!" Alen ordered, throwing Rena into a spare bedroom. She yelped as she was thrown onto the floor. She looked up at Alen with concerned eyes as he said, "Don't even think of escaping. I have some business to take care, but I'll come back to get you." Alen slammed the door shut, leaving Rena sitting on the floor, rubbing her backside from the fall. She straightened the crescent moon hairpin she wore on her head as she immediately thought, _I have to find some way to escape._

Disregarding Alen's threat, Rena exited the bedroom and investigated the mansion, talking to the chefs, maids, and butlers working under Alen and his father. A lot of them were surprised to see Rena there, and even more astonished as to why. However, one butler most devoted to Alen gave her some information she found incredibly handy. 

"A secret staircase?" Rena repeated the butler's words. 

"Yes. I've watched Master Alen open it from time to time to let a carpenter from Arlia through. He'd go with him, but he had never told me why. I've never questioned him about it in fear of being fired," the butler informed her. 

"A carpenter from Arlia? The only one there is Mr. Bossman. I always go to his house to tell his children some stories because he's always gone. So this must be why. You don't know what Alen's building under there?" 

"I'm afraid not, Miss Rena. I know I'm going against my Master, but lately his behaviour has been erratic. It must have been due to a stone he discovered about two months ago deep in the Salva mines, for it always emits some kind of weird purple glow as he stared at it, laughing maniacally." 

_That must've been the glowing thing in his pocket..._ Rena realized as she asked, "So do you know where this secret staircase is and how to open it?" 

"Sure do. Come this way," the butler said, directing her to a small den. He stepped up to a statue of a goddess holding onto a glowing candle with her palms. He carefully faced the statue away from the bookcase leaning against the wall. They felt and heard a vibration echoing around the room. 

"I suggest you step back, Miss Rena," the butler warned as both of them stepped away from the bookcase. Indeed, the statue was really a key for keeping the bookcase in place, but now it slid away from it's original position, revealing a doorway with descending stairs into the darkness. 

"I... I don't know how to thank you," Rena stammered to the butler. 

"Just escape from Salva as far away as possible, and not to Arlia either. That will be the most obvious place for him to find you. That's all I want in return," he said as he departed for the kitchen, guilt setting in him for betraying his master. Rena thanked him again silently before making haste down the stairs. It took a few minutes for her to reach the bottom. She expected it to be dark and damp, but it was well-lit up by candle-light. Rena gasped as she saw someone moaning in pain on the ground. 

"Mr. Bossman!" she exclaimed, running up to the injured carpenter. She kneeled down to inspect his wounds, which turned out mostly to be lacerations around his gut. She used her Heraldic recovery spells to lessen the pain multiple times before he could look up at her and speak to her intelligibly. 

"Rena... what're you doing here?" Bossman gasped. 

"Alen kidnapped me, but one of his butlers helped me to escape. Come on, we both have to get out of here!" 

"No, don't worry about dragging me around. Alen seems to have spared me, but I doubt he'll be as merciful to you if he finds out you've escaped." 

Rena remembered the butler tell her about Bossman building something. "Mr. Bossman, can you tell me what Alen paid you to build?" 

"Certainly. He wanted me to design an altar. I don't understand what his intentions with it are. Maybe a sacrifice?" Bossman answered. 

"I don't think so. He kidnapped me because he said he wanted to marry me." 

"That must be it, then... look, quit wasting your time talking to me and get out of Salva! I'll recover and return home to Jake and Alice as soon as possible. I suggest that you go to Herlie and find a ship to Lacour if you want to be safe!" Bossman replied, looking away from Rena. She took his and the butler's frightenly similar advice, stood up, and descended deeper into the depths of the Salva mine. 

Rena had heard rumours about how filthy, dusty, and dark this place was. Now she believed it with every word. It was difficult to traverse thanks to lack of oxygen, weak candle light, and monsters attacking her from every corner. Fortunately, Westa's prayers were answered as Rena utilized her martial arts skills to defeat her predators. 

An hour later, Rena peeked her head around a bright corner. She could see the town of Salva just outside! Her eyes sparkled as she began to dash around the corner, but she had to halt instantly. Her misfortunes returned to haunt her as she saw soldiers stationed at the entrance to the mine, their backs turned to her. They never saw her, and she intended to keep it that way as she ducked back into the unintentional safety of the shadows. 

_Phew! That was close! But what can I do now? That's the only way in and out of the mine, and Alen's house is locked. I shouldn't knock the door down lest I arouse suspicion in Salva. Oh no... does this mean I trapped here!? No... no, I refuse to believe it. As long as I hold hope, I'll find a way out,_ Rena thought. With newfound confidence boiling in her spirit, Rena returned into the depths of the mine to find another way out. 

****

Another hour later, Rena found herself reading a very peculiar sign; 

_CAUTION: Dragon ahead!_ it blared at her, with the picture of the silhouette of a dragon. She blinked, thinking, _A dragon? I've never heard of it down here. Maybe that's why the security is so tight on a work day. Alen wouldn't even dream of coming down this way, so I might as well give this a shot._

She jogged down the corridor, fatigue rearing it's ugly head towards her. She stopped and gasped for huge breaths of air repeatedly, but ventured forward anyway, using her healing magic as quick fixes. Rena was about to turn around yet another bland corridor when her ears perked up. She listened carefully. Sure enough, she could hear the faint crashings and sounds of a battle going on up ahead of her. Another sound almost made her skip another heartbeat; 

A roar. 

_Goodness! WhatEVER could that be!?_ Rena wondered as, fatigue aside, she pounded pavement towards the distant battle. A few minutes later, Rena slowed her running down to a stop as she found out how narrow the corridor was. She looked ahead... and had to fall back on her buttocks in sheer fright. 

A two-headed dragon, one head red, the other blue, towered over her. The red dragon breathed fire, while the blue one breathed some kind of flaming ice. At first, she thought the dragon had seen her and it was all over for her, but after a minute, she deducted that that wasn't the case. She saw that they never noticed her since a different person was attracting their attention. Rena observed the backside of this man only, since she couldn't see his face. He wore a robe that priests would wear and an indigo cape that reminded her of a court jester's hat, making him higly unusual for him to be a swordsman had he not had a pair of twin blades in his hands. His expertise was flawless as he swung the blades at his opponent, narrowly missing the dragons' jugular by inches. 

The red dragon blasted a stream of fire at the man, but he flipped out of the way. He had to swiftly dodge from the blue dragon's icy assault. Rena was frozen with fear, trying not to utter even the tiniest yelp as she watched the battle unfold, trying not to distract the swordsman. Her worst fears came true as he spun around, taking sight of the frightened teen. Rena could now see his face. He had jade eyes that worked well with his dark chestnut hair, and he wore an indigo headband with a red jewel right in the center of his forehead. He looked handsome... around nineteen or twenty. 

Rena convulsed as the man demanded, "What are you doing here!? Get out of here at once!" 

She was too scared to move a muscle, never letting her eyes off the dragon looming above them. The man ignored the dragon as he shouted at Rena, "It's too dangerous for you to be here! RUN!!" 

Rena breathed quickly and uncontrollably as the two-headed dragon slipped quietly towards the man, raising their heads together as if to attack. However, something weird began to happen. They began to glow white, their eyes only visible. The man's eyes dilated, still staring at Rena, as he felt the propulsion of the flare hit his back. Rena screamed as the dazzling light overcame both Expellians, forcing her to squeeze her eyes shut. 

When the light died down to darkness, Rena laid on the floor. The force of the light was enough to throw her back. She rubbed her eyes and waited for them to adjust to the darkness again, cursing the bright green flare for taking so long to go away. Finally, her vision returned to relative normalness as she took note of her surroundings. The first thing she noticed was that the dragons were gone... and so was the man. 

"Oh no! Was he killed!?" Rena gasped. She desperately darted her eyes around, scoping for the fighter. Her eyes rested upon a prone figure, and she let out a huge sigh of relief when she recognized the priestly garb of the warrior. Fighting back tears, Rena crawled up to him, pressing her fingers against his neck. She felt a strong pulse. 

_He'll be all right. I should stay and heal him,_ she thought. She closed her eyes and casted several Heal spells to cure his battle scars. She heard him stirring in the darkness as he woke up. Like Rena, he had to fight back the dizziness in his eyes before he could look at Rena. 

"Are you all right?" she asked him. 

"You're... you're that girl..." the man muttered tiredly. He looked around the dark cave, wondering, "Where did the dragons go? Did I defeat them?" 

"I don't see them, so you must've..." Rena faltered. The man suddenly bolted onto his feet, ejaculating proudly, "I did it! I slayed the dragon all by myself! I don't know how I did it, but I did!" A tear of happiness ran down his cheek as he looked at Rena. "Now, are YOU all right...? Miss?" The man found Rena backing away from him fearfully, her hands clasped over her mouth in shock. 

"What's wrong? The dragons are gone! You have nothing to worry about!" he chuckled. Rena stammered fearfully, "... your... back..." 

"My back?" The man blinked as he glanced over his right shoulder. His gaze fell upon famillair red lizard-like scales. He looked over his left shoulder to meet blue scales. He looked up to see the heads of the dragons he was just fighting! Worse, both he and Rena made the realization that the two-headed dragon had taken the man's distraction as an opportunity to possess him, their heads now sticking out from his back! 

_"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!?!?"_ the man screamed, terrorizing Rena even more. _"What... WHAT'RE THESE DRAGONS DOING ON MY BACK!?"_

Rena, once again, landed smack on her buttocks as the man pointed an accusing finger at her. "You! You did this to me! I was distracted by you and now these dragons have possessed me... all thanks to you! What do you have to say for yourself!?" Rena was now full-out crying. She knew she was at fault for distracting him. Had she not been there, he would've slayed the dragon. End of story. 

_First, I was trying to escape from Alen... and now I've given this man a curse! Maybe this world is better without me!_ Rena thought in a panic as the man continued to accuse her, but she didn't listen to him. She saw the shine of one of the man's knives right next to her. She grabbed it's hilt, inspecting the blade's sharpness. Good enough for the job. She kneeled. 

_Mother... both of you... I just can't. Alen wants to wed me against my will, and I've given this fellow a curse. Maybe everything will go right if I just disappear... I just can't go on with this guilt..._ Rena apologized to Westa and her supposed true mother, the only proof being the strange pendant hanging around her neck which gave her the healing Heraldry magic she uniquely held. She turned the knife-side towards her chest, still ignoring the man's yelling. 

However, now the fellow's yelling had a different tone, changing from accusation to demanding her to stop committing suicide. As Rena was about to inject the sword into her heart, he ran up to her, kneeled down to her, and slapped her across the face! 

"STOP IT!" he screamed at her. The slap echoed across the caverns for a few seconds until a complete silence thundered around them. Rena still looked in the direction where she was slapped, her cheek red as the man exclaimed, "What're you thinking!? I just wanted you to take responsibility for making me damaged goods, not take your life because of this!" 

Rena looked at him, quivering, "But that's not it, entirely... your misfortune is now part of the reason... I don't wanna go on and give more people trouble... let me continue..." 

"No, you won't!" the man raved, grabbing the sword and tossing it far enough for Rena not to catch. His other blade was safely away. The two dragons watched the exchange take place with interest in their beady eyes, resting upon his shoulders. The man forced Rena to look directly into his eyes as he coaxed, "I've been through some tough times recently as well. I've had to leave my hometown thanks to the Sorcery Globe destroying it! And even then, all my life, my luck has always been known to be sour. Look, I don't mind this, but since you were the one who distracted me, I'm asking that you help me exorcise these dragons so I can be normal again. That's it! I don't want you to take your life because of this!" 

"But... before I came here... I was kidnapped by Salva's mayor's son..." Rena weeped. 

"You were kidnapped? Hmm... say, I haven't introduced myself, have I? My name is Ashton Anchors. I guess the surname suits me," the man said. Rena chuckled lightly for the first time as she said, "I am Rena Lanford... of Arlia village. Where was your hometown?" 

"Eluria. I had left before the Sorcery Globe landed on the town." 

"Were there any survivors? Your family? Your friends?" 

"No. I'm all alone, working as a Lacourian mercenary for the King. He requested that I go slay the very same dragons that have fused to my back for a hefty sum. I guess I won't be getting it, or any other sum, until I get rid of these guys..." Ashton said forlornly, thinking of his own dilemmas. Ashton remembered what Rena said about her being abducted and replied, "Look, don't worry about my misfortunes. You said you were kidnapped, right?" 

"By Alen... but that doesn't concern you." Rena cried some more, now fearful that Ashton wanted to save her. Why should he, after she let upon his worst curse in his life? He hugged her, trying to reassure her by saying, "You don't want me involved? Come on, I'm a mercenary. I do a job as long as I get paid back. Say, tell you what? If I help you escape, you have to help me exorcise these two annoyances. Deal?" 

The two dragons didn't take the insult lightly as they began to chew on his hair as a warning. Ashton kept on pushing them back with one hand while hugging Rena with the other, trying to tell them that he would take that statement back. Rena blinked, watching the two dragons with disbelief as they fought with each other and Ashton like they had personalities of their own. It was all very complicated when her feelings and the actual situation mingled with each other. Right now, she had to set her priorities straight; Alen had kidnapped her and she had to get out. 

Rena had found her knight in shining armor, with the reputation of slaying dragons, that would save her... even if he was symbiotically fused with that aforementioned dragon. "Sure... if you help me, I'll help you. I'm sorry that I don't have any money..." 

"Money is worthless to me. My freedom is..." Ashton muttered, and was awarded with another hair-chew festival. "Okay, okay! Cut it out!" Rena was now laughing at poor Ashton's struggle, and realized that the two dragons were stuck with them as a group. Why not give them names? 

"Um, Ashton? Do you think I can name them for now? Calling them 'red dragon' and 'blue dragon' seems kind of dull..." Rena requested. 

"Huh? But that's not important..." he protested. Rena ignored him as she and the red dragon looked at each other. "This guy's eyes are pretty long, so I wanna name him 'Gyoro'." Her gaze met with the blue dragon's insanely cute button eyes. "And this guy's eyes are cute and round, so I wanna name him 'Ururun'. How about it, Ashton?" 

"Umm... well, if you insist. But remember that they're just temporary names." 

"You're such an adamant guy." 

"Never mind. Let's get you out of here. By the way, are you feeling better, Rena? Do I have to worry about you killing yourself again?" 

"I'm okay," she responded. Ashton helped Rena up before he collected his swords. They both left the area together and fended the monsters away. The two newly-named dragons even began to pitch in the battles, Gyoro tending to help Ashton when he was in trouble with his fire-breath, while Ururun gained a fondness for Rena as he spit ice-breath at any opponent that overwhelmed her. 

"Alen..." she whispered. Ashton caught this and asked, "So what's wrong with this guy? He sure must be obsessed with you if he wants to forcibly marry you." 

"No... it's not Alen. I believe that a stone he discovered has possessed him and turned him insane. If only I could cure him..." 

"Let's find him!" 

"What?" 

"Well, it'd be kind of pointless if I rescued you, only to have him kidnap you again. If we get rid of the source of evil, then our problem is solved. Let's go find Alen!" Ashton declared. Gyoro and Ururun made dragon-like noises, as if in agreement. Rena blinked in surprise, not expecting this in her escape plan. Ashton rubbed his chin in thought. "But where can we go to find him?" 

"I remember Mr. Bossman saying something about an altar Alen ordered him to construct down here. Alen's butler even said that Alen ventured down here before I escaped through a secret passage. I'm guessing that that's where he is right now. But I never found the altar room yet," Rena suggested. Gyoro and Ururun glanced at each other behind Ashton's back, then closed their eyes. Ashton's eyes lit up suddenly. 

"The dragons are talking to me!" he exclaimed. 

"Are they!? What're they saying?" Rena asked. 

"Gyoro's telling me, 'The boy that got possessed and the girl we frightened must follow the direction of the blue one's breath. We know of a cavern roomy enough to be an underground wedding chapel'." 

"That's odd... 'the boy that got possessed'? Why, they should know you the best since they fused with you," Rena quizzitvely wondered. 

"I don't understand either. I think Gyoro's telling me to follow the icy path that Ururun wants to lay out for us to follow," Ashton deduced. Ururun blinked, opened his mouth, and began firing icy breath at the floor, making a thin sheet of sparkling blue ice for the duo to follow. This continued for the rest of their journey down the damp caves until Ururun quit breathing ice at an intricately arched entrance. 

"This must be it!" Rena exclaimed, then told Ururun, "Thank you for showing us the way! Now we can go save Alen!" Ururun appeared bashful, hiding behind Ashton's head in shyness. Gyoro just rolled his eyes. Rena and Ashton stepped slowly and carefully into the golden glowing wedding chapel. They noticed stained pews lined up one after the other into neat rows. Colourful stained-glass lined up on the ceiling in various different pictures. The golden glow of the room was thanks to candles lighting up the entire makeshift chapel. 

What caught Rena off-guard the most was right up at the altar. A stone table with four shackles was apparently the main attraction... with Alen standing right behind it, glaring at the purple glowing stone floating in front of him with madness in his features. He looked up to see Rena standing defensively behind Ashton. He stood in a threatening pose, brandishing his twin blades, with Gyoro and Ururun glaring malice at Alen. 

"Well well well, if it isn't my fiancee. I told you not to escape, and not only did you disobey me, but you hired a swordsman to take me out, is that right?" Alen asked Rena. 

"Shut up!" Ashton barked. "A marriage isn't true if only one party desires it!" 

"Oh, but you're mistaken... we're in love like never before... in love! _Love!_" he shouted, losing any apparent sanity as he kept repeating the word 'love' over and over again. Rena screamed as both she and Ashton witnessed Alen beginning to transform from a man to a beast, a purple aura surrounding him from the crystal. He bared fangs at the duo, saliva drooling out. 

_"ALEN!!"_ Rena shrieked as the beast lunged for them. Ashton grabbed Rena and tackled them away from Alen before he could pounce and rip Rena to shreds. Alen stalked over towards them. 

"It's the crystal! If we can break it, we'll be able to defeat him!" Ashton shouted. Gyoro breathed as much fire as he possibly could to fend Alen away. "Rena, get to the crystal and do whatever you can to destroy it! I... we'll hold him off here!" The swordsman leapt into battle, taunting, "Come and get it!", as he sharpened his blades. Rena wasted no time in running for the altar, trying her best to avoid the crystal's evil aura from contaminating her as she clutched it. 

"What can I do? This thing is too hard for me to just break on the floor! This means I'll have to get it myself," Rena told herself as she laid the jewel on the altar, then stepped back, holding her right palm out in a chopping position. She could hear the dragons roaring as Ashton received scars from Alen's assault, but she shut the sounds out of her mind. She closed her eyes to concentrate on the task at hand, a determined look on her face. Rena could feel the holy aura of her pendant bearing out from her jewel and covering her in a white aura, shielding her from the crystal's dark energy. She focused most of the white energy at the base of her palm... then chopped down on the crystal as hard as she could. 

_*CRASH!*_

The purple crystal shattered into millions of fragments. Ashton held onto his arm in pain as Alen was about to slash at him for the final time. After Rena destroyed the crystal, Alen paused, his eyes widening as he felt his power quickly ebb away from his body. He screamed, the loss of power evidently painful to him as he returned from beast to human. He coughed up blood and fainted before Ashton. Ashton nervously edged away, avoiding any possible surprises that Alen might be hiding from him, but he really had nothing to worry about. 

Rena had tears in her eyes, losing the brave face as she stepped down from the altar towards Alen, kneeling next to him and cradling his head on her knees. She looked up at Ashton, asking, "Are you and the dragons all right?" 

"We'll be fine. But what about him? I don't have any herbs with me." 

"That's okay. I have my own healing..." Rena faltered as she casted her Heraldic recovery spells on Alen, closing his wounds and relaxing his muscles from the strain of transformation. Alen began to stir awake, opening his eyes and looking up directly into Rena's eyes. 

"Rena...? What am I...? Where is this place?" he kept asking. He looked around the chapel, wondering, "Where are we?" 

"Hmm... you don't remember anything?" Ashton questioned. 

"Remember? What is there to remember?" 

"Oh, Alen... come on, let's get out of here and I'll explain to you. Let's go back to your mansion," Rena suggested as she and Ashton helped Alen to his feet, assisting in limping him forward out of the Salva mines. 

****

Alen rested in his bedroom, his butler, Rena, Bossman, and Ashton all standing around the bed. Alen looked at Bossman, asking, "Did I really ask you to build me an altar?" 

"Yes, you ordered one from me two weeks ago, and you had put me on a strict schedule for it. I never knew why you wanted it until Rena told me about you kidnapping her." 

Alen sighed, guilty for everything that happened, but he couldn't remember anything for the life of him. His butler replied, "I had to betray you to help Miss Rena escape. But I never knew that Mr. Ashton was down there fending off the dragon menace at the same time. Rena ought to thank the Goddess of Luck for being on her side." 

"Don't worry about betraying me, Luke," Alen said, "You only betrayed the supposed monster I became, and he's now dead. I don't remember anything, but I don't know how many apologies I can give to you all. I even concocted the fear of the dragon in Salva to distract the townspeople from my plans, as Luke claims I did. That is why you're possessed..." Alen stared at Ashton, feeling responsible for his misfortunes as well. 

"Hmm... well I must admit, the plan worked a little TOO well, since I was hired by the King of Lacour to slay the dragon. Rena agreed that after we saved you from the crystal, we'd go together to find a way to exorcise these dragons from my back," Ashton admitted, then continued, "So I wouldn't kill yourself worrying about what you did." He winked at Rena briefly. 

"I have to apologize to you the most for giving you the greatest amount of fear," Alen told Rena. 

"I'm just happy to see you normal again. I'm also glad that your father was gone the whole two months. When he comes home next month, things will have cooled down by then. Please don't worry about me and try to recover," Rena reassured him. She and Ashton said their good-byes to Alen, Luke, and Bossman before departing from his mansion in a mixed mood. 

Rena stared down at the dusty landscape of Salva, knowing full-well what was going to happen now. Ashton was more filled with glee, stretching as he said, "Well, I've done my part of the bargain. Now it's your turn! Do you know of anywhere where we can find information on exorcism?" 

"Umm... well, I want to tell my Mother where I'm going. She still thinks I'm kidnapped, so I don't want to worry her any longer..." Rena said. 

"Oh, that's a good idea." Gyoro and Ururun were asleep on Ashton's shoulders, the red dragon breathing a comical snot bubble from his nose, indicating that he was the more lazier one. Ashton shook his head in embarrassment as townspeople stared and pointed at him. 

"Let's get out of here," he hastily replied. 

Return to R/A:AD Index   
Go on to Part 2 


	2. Rena and Ashton: An Alternate Destiny P...

  
  

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RENA AND ASHTON: AN ALTERNATE DESTINY

PART 2: CORRECT RETROGRADE MARS 

OOC: Okay, I'd like to get my point across. I hated Dias, but it doesn't mean I'll bash him if I write a future fic with him in it for folks who DO like him. He was too snobbish, although I do admit he could rumble with the best. The only attacks I tended to find useful were Illusion and Firebird Shockwave. But overall, I just didn't like him, so this is another variation of Alternate Destiny. Might you say, reader, that this is a case of, "I wanna do what I wanna do!"? I suppose I'm guilty of it. However, I liked Celine, so she stays... for this chapter. ^o^ 

--Benit 

****

"Rena! You're safe!" Westa cried out in happiness, hugging her daughter as Rena and Ashton returned to Arlia. Rena returned it gratefully, Ashton standing idly behind them. The two dragons were still asleep on his shoulders. 

"Mother, it wasn't Alen's fault," Rena replied, explaining the situation to Westa. She absorbed this information and asked, "Do you hold any animosity towards Alen?" 

"No. Besides, I already exacted my revenge on the catalyst. But Mother, I came home not only to tell you that I'm safe, but that I also have some other business to take care of." 

"Oh? What is it?" 

Rena explained Ashton's crisis and her agreement to help him exorcise Gyoro and Ururun in exchange for rescuing her life. Westa observed the two dragons, then told Ashton, "Well, I'll let my daughter go with you. I pray for your safety, and that you may succeed in solving this problem." 

"Thank you, Mrs. Lanford. Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to take a glimpse of this town by myself. Looks tranquil enough for me not to receive any rude stares," Ashton remarked. 

"Oh, don't worry. We all know each other, so if anyone asks, tell them that I brought you here," Rena reassured him before he took off into town. Rena and Westa returned to their home to cook for the dinner tonight, albeit the guest plans being changed. 

****

Early in the evening... 

"Rena, the dinner is ready. Go and invite Ashton here," Westa said. Rena followed the order, stepping outside and asking some townspeople where they last saw the swordsman. They all said that he remained staring at a barrel in the middle of the street. She was perplexed, but followed their directions until she finally found him hugging a plain barrel. 

"Ashton!? What in Tria's name are you doing!?" she exclaimed dubiously. 

"Barrel... barrel..." he kept mumbling as if in paradise. 

_Does he have some kind of inner obsession with barrels? It could ruin his life at this rate... not that Gyoro and Ururun don't for him, but something like this will make people freak! Doesn't he realize that?_ Rena thought as she attracted his attention by exclaiming, "ASHTON!" 

"Wha-?" He faced Rena, the dragons wide awake and chuckling to each other. 

"I was ABOUT to say that dinner is ready," she answered calmly. 

"Oh... say, Rena? Which angle does this barrel look best in? Maybe I could ask someone to paint it all nice and bright for me!" 

"Ri~ight..." 

****

"Thanks for the dinner, Mrs. Lanford. It certainly was filling!" Ashton commented as he took his last bite of cheesecake. 

"I appreciate it. How about you two stay in town for tonight? It's been getting dark rather quickly these days," Westa suggested before retreating back upstairs to her bedroom. Rena twiddled her thumbs nervously, but said nothing as she looked outside, amazed at how dark it became while they ate. Ashton caught her nervousness, asking, "What's the matter?" 

"Nothing much... nothing much to concern you with." 

"Hmm..." He put an index finger to his chin in thought as Ururun blinked, looking at Rena. Gyoro was still enjoying some steak, oblivious to what was going on. She caught the blue dragon's concerned stare and fell to his mercifully cute eyes. 

"Oh fine... but let's go to the bridge. I suppose I have too much going on in my mind, as well as you have too much in your mind." 

Rena and Ashton exited her house and took an evening stroll towards the quiet creek bridge where Rena was kidnapped by Alen. They stared down absent-mindedly into the flowing water in complete silence for a few minutes, letting the soft sound of the water running by fill their ears. Finally, Ashton spoke, "So, what is the matter? I thought you'd be okay after Alen was saved from the crystal." 

"It's not him. It's about Westa," Rena replied. 

"What about her?" 

"... she's not my real mother." 

"What!?" 

"Mother and Mayor Regis think I don't know, but I overheard them talking after Father had passed away. My only real clue is this pendant I carry, and my healing powers." 

"Hmm... come to think of it, in Heraldic magic, there's no such thing as recovery. I never noticed it at first, but after you mentioned that, I recalled the lessons." 

"You're a Heraldic user yourself?" Rena wondered, flabbergasted. 

"Yes. I combine magic and sword skills for my techniques. My crest is hidden underneath my bandanna, so that's why you can't see it. But I'm still amazed that Westa isn't your mother. Why not just tell her that you understand?" 

"I don't want to worry her... and I'm also interested in investigating the Sorcery Globe to find more clues about who the real woman is that gave birth to me. That would devastate Mother..." Rena faltered. Ashton looked up at the stars in deep thought. 

"You know, I never really cared about what my parents thought of me anymore. They were really the ones who told me to leave and find a real job instead of staring at barrels all the time. I was shocked at how heartless they were... trying to force me out of my comfort zones. I feel kind of relieved that I left them behind in Eluria before it was destroyed, but kind of guilty at the same time. It's complicated," Ashton told her. 

"And what does that have to do with me?" 

"I'm just saying to get your mother out of her comfort zone and let you find out who your real mother is. And you know what? After I exorcise these dragons, I'll go with you to the Sorcery Globe. I'd like to exact my revenge on the one thing that took the family I loved and the only friends I had." 

"Are you sure?" Rena wondered. 

"Yes. Come on, you must be getting tired. Let's go home... little sister." 

Rena giggled. Regarding someone as 'sister' or 'brother' when they weren't related meant that their friendship was so close, they could've been mistaken for tolerant siblings. She didn't mind having an older brother who liked barrels and had a pair of dragon heads poking out from his back, but she was still concerned for Gyoro and Ururun. She dared not to bring it up lest she get Ashton's insensitive side out. 

****

The next morning... 

"Rena, did you buy a lot of herbs from Mr. Hearn earlier?" Westa asked. Rena rolled her eyes, knowing that she entered 'Mother Hen' mode and droned, "Yes, Mother. I made sure to get anything and everything I needed, including some iron knuckles." She presented Westa with the aforementioned knuckles wrapped around her own. Ashton waited impatiently, while the dragons bickered with each other, the swordsman apparently not taking an interest into it. 

"All right, both of you be careful out there. Watch out for theives," Westa warned them before giving Rena a departing kiss on the cheek. Westa finally returned to her home in a saddened mood, but what could she do about it? 

"Finally!" Ashton exclaimed with happy tears in his eyes. "Now we can begin our investigation for beriding me of these annoyances. It was so hard to sleep last night because I couldn't rest on my back!" He received repeated nips by Gyoro and Ururun for his comments. 

"So, do you know where to begin?" Rena wondered. 

"... no... I thought you did." 

"You didn't even give it any thought last night!?" 

"I couldn't with these two arguing all the time about which one is stronger! I had a difficult time shutting them up!" 

"I see... say, now that you mentioned that you were a Heraldic fighter, and I'm a healer, I now recall a village to the north of Cross. Mars, I believe it was. They're well-known for sorceresses, wizards, and the practises of Heraldry. I'm sure there must be something about exorcism in Mars if we go there," Rena suggested. 

"And my luck just keeps on getting better and better. I better savour it as much as possible!" 

****

In Mars, two days later after leaving Arlia (Ashton and Rena had to rest in Salva and in Cross before they arrived), Ashton rubbed his hands together in delight. "Now, where can we go to find the plethora of books?" 

"I heard the Elder's house has some rare pieces, but I doubt we'll be able to see them easily by walking in. Still, we'll never know unless we try," Rena said as she directed Ashton to the house in question. Rena recalled coming here when she was younger when Westa asked the Elder concerning her healing powers and where they were from. Unfortunately, her powers baffled him back then, so Rena was no closer to finding the truth. 

Her hidden truth barely concerned her today as she knocked on the door of the Elder's house. She was answered by an olive-haired woman with a desperate look on her face. 

"Yes? Can I help you?" she asked. 

"Yes... we... I don't... what's wrong?" Rena faltered. Ashton and the dragons were also wondering what was the dilemma presented to them by the woman's features. 

"Please come in. We need all the help we can get," she pleaded, gesturing the two adventurers into the house. They both glanced at each other dubiously for a second before granting her wish, entering the silent dining room. The Elder, two men, and a scantilly-clad sorceress discussed issues around the table. The olive-haired woman, Rena, and Ashton joined in. 

"Oh? Who are these two?" the sexy sorceress asked, brushing her purple-silver hair out of her eyes. Rena blinked, responding, "I'm Rena Lanford from Arlia. He is Ashton Anchors from Eluria... we wanted to come here to research exorcism for him, but... it looks like something else is wrong here." 

"Indeed. I suppose you noticed that there were no children playing outside, correct?" one of the two men asked the newcomers. 

"To tell you the truth, I didn't see any. That concerned me greatly, since I like kids. What's the problem?" Ashton inquired. 

"Earlier this morning, the children were training in the Heraldry Forest, but the Master of Heraldry reported that they were kidnapped by bandits. They're being held ransom for 500,000 FOL and the Book of Sealing," the Elder explained. 

"Book of Sealing?" 

"I cannot explain in full detail, but it is a sacred book passed down through the generations of the wizards of Mars. It would be devastating if anyone undeserving were to get their hands on the treasure." 

"But it doesn't cease to amaze me how the bandits could've rampaged themselves into the forest. It is protected by holy Crests, and are unpenetratable. Whoever their leader is is very skilled in Heraldry," the other man, Eglas, assumed. 

"So why are we just sitting around on our hands, Father?" the sorceress asked. 

"Celine, we can't risk the lives of the children by not granting these bastards what they want. A victory is meaningless if the children aren't safe," Eglas tried to reason with Celine, his daughter. Her eyes became enraged, the small Crest on her foreheard glowing a light pink as she demanded, "So let me go in! I'm very skilled with my magic, so they should be no match for me!" 

"Celine, you must be joking! The forest is too dangerous to go in alone! We never go in there on own lonesomes, but rather in groups to be safe!" Celine's mother, Labe, protested. 

"Well!? If you're so damn stubborn about the childrens' lives being tortured, who the hell can I go with!?" Celine spat. Rena blushed, interrupting the argument by raising her hand lightly and whimpering, "Well... we could..." 

"Huh?" Celine glanced at Rena and Ashton, an apparent interest glowing in her violet eyes. "Oh my, I had forgotten you two had waltzed in on us, darlings. What're you doing here, anyway?" 

"They already explained that to us," the Master of Heraldry said bluntly. 

"Oh forget it! So you two were passing by here, yes?" 

"We were looking for a way to be rid of these two dragon heads that have possessed me, and Rena suggested that the village of Mars would have something interesting. However, we were ill-informed of this crisis," Ashton explained. 

"Of course. Who could care about what happens in rustic backwater villages? That settles it then, darlings!" Celine ejaculated, pleading with the Elder, "These two adventurers will help me, so I won't have to go into the forest alone! The safety of the children is guaranteed. I'll promise that with the witness of Tria!" 

"Hmm... well now, the flow of the tide has changed. Now there is hope for us flickering with these two folks. Eglas, Labe, I have no reason to refuse your daughter to rescue the children with Miss Rena and Mr. Ashton," the Elder tried to persuade Celine's parents. 

"I still think it's too dangerous for you. I heard that the bandits are merciless to anyone who stands in their way," the Master of Heraldry muttered. 

"There is no problem with you embarking on this mission, Celine, now that Rena and Ashton have came. I don't know what your concern is, Master," Eglas remarked. 

"I'm still adamant about them not going in." 

"The majority wins, I'm afraid. Can you two hold off searching for your exorcism methods for now? I'm sure we'll have something in Mars, but with this peril in our hands..." the Elder requested the two travellers. 

"Certainly. For the sake of the children," Ashton said sincerely, and Rena could feel some kind of hidden love of children for him as he uttered the sentence. 

"Good. Get some rest this evening and begin your search bright and early tomorrow morning." 

****

Sunrise, the next morning... 

"Sleep well?" Ashton asked Rena as he twirled his indigo cape around him, fixing it carefully on him so it fit through Gyoro and Ururun. He was oddly chipper, but Rena barely managed to sleep a wink. She was worried about many things now, like Ashton, the children, the dragons, her healing magic... it was an incoherent mess of thoughts and worries that kept her up all night. Now she was a little wobbly, but nothing that could hamper her seriously. She didn't want to worry Ashton, so her response was, "Slept like a log." 

"We're supposed to meet Celine at the entrance to the Heraldry Forest, right?" 

"That's what she said before we turned in." 

When they were fully dressed and wide awake, they departed from the inn they were resting in and marched straight towards where Celine was patiently waiting for them. She smacked her lips, making sure her lipstick was properly pasted, before asking, "So, are we ready, darlings? We have our herbs and healing items? Full mind at work?" 

"Hey, hey, slow down! We're ready as ever as we can be!" Ashton tried to calm Celine down, since they could tell she was ansty to venture in there and kick some theives to Lacour and back. With that in mind, the threesome entered the creepy, dark woods. Rena shivered in fright, shuddering, "Do you really train here? It's kind of scary..." 

"It acts as an anology for the rest of this world, since all it is is one big scary place, anymore. We Heraldic users aren't fearful because we've been raised in this environment to be immune to such nonsense," Celine explained nonchalantly as she guided them through the forest. Along the foot-worn path, Rena could sense that someone was watching over them, looking up into the branches that covered the sunlight into little breaks for anyone suspicious. 

She weakly replied, "Guys, I think someone is following us..." 

"They could be our main men. Get ready," Ashton warned, unsheathing his blades. For once, Gyoro and Ururun appeared serious as their arched their heads around Ashton, their eyes expressing, "Come and get us. We'll get you first." 

Rena's fears became reality as gray-garbed men with various appearances of 'loser' written upon them macheted through the shrubbery, ambushing the trio. 

"Well, what do we have here? Two bimbos and a freak," one theif sneered. Ashton remained motionless, but was hurting like hell from the comment inside. Another theif snapped, "What're you guys supposed to be, warriors of justice or something? Get lost, or else we'll dispense our wrath upon you!" 

"Oh really? The only wrath I've seen are cowardly kidnappings and big words, but nothing else, darlings," Celine smiled sweetly, yet venomously. 

"So you want more, bitch? Come and get it!" a third theif shouted as he lunged for Celine. Her right hand burned with glowing embers until it exploded into flames which she hurled at the offender. His clothes caught on fire, changing his priority from killing her to trying to distinguish the flames. Rena awarded another theif with a fierce punch to the gut, then a chop over the nape of his neck, knocking him out for good. Another goon sneaked up behind the girl, sword raised, as he readyed himself to chop her into bloody meat ribbons. 

His life ended after Ashton pierced one of his swords into the man's back, the blade reappearing outside the man's stomach as Rena screamed in terror. Ashton withdrew the blade from the carcass as he apologized, "Sorry about that, but I couldn't let him hurt my little sister." He immediately turned back into the action, slicing his swords expertly against other clumsy theives. He let his rage about the 'freak' comment explode violently as he tore into men like steak, not caring how many more kept on coming. 

Celine yelped as her arm was gashed by a stray sword swing that Rena ducked, missing her probability of being decapitated. Rena's expression became fearful, watching the sorceress kneel in pain as she clutched her bleeding arm. The offending mugger laughed, "So do you think we're still big words, bimbo?" 

_"BASTAAARD!!!"_ Rena shrieked, dashing towards him with the fastest speed an Expellian was capable of, launching devastaing martial arts blows to vital areas, like the jugular of his neck, his gut, his hamstrings... anywhere she could inflict the worst amount of pain. The onslaught was enough to kill him. She let the lifeless body drop behind her as she kneeled next to Celine. 

"I'm losing blood..." Celine began, but Rena interrupted her, smiling, "Just hold still and keep the wound covered." She closed her eyes in concentration, her mysterious pendant glowing a faint blue. Celine felt Rena's healing magic close her wounds from a fresh cut to a blatant scar, but at least she didn't have to worry about bleeding to death. 

"Sweetheart... how is that possible?" Celine wondered. 

"I don't have time to explain. Let's help Ashton!" 

"Of course, darling!" Celine stayed a distance away from the actual fight that Rena and Ashton threw themselves full-force into. One by one, the lacerations gashed the two warriors, but with their skills and Celine's pyrokinetic spells, the theives had little chance of winning. 

"Ugh!" one of the last muggers gasped. "Powerful... moronic, but still powerful. But don't think you've won yet because not only do we have the children, but our Boss is a lot stronger than us!" He and several other cronies who survived leaped back into the shrubbery before the rescuers even had a chance to pursue them. 

"Coward, coward custard," Celine snapped at their retreating figures. Ashton cleaned his blades off in mucky swampwater, although the mud made it dirtier still. Rena cured any wounds they sustained in battle, white sparkles dancing around her before disappearing. Celine quizzitively raised an eyebrow at Rena, unspokenly asking, _How can you heal when recovery doesn't exist?_ The blue-haired girl shyed away from Celine, embarking forward. 

"Hey, wait up!" Ashton exclaimed, Gyoro and Ururun sighing indignantly. They took chase after the retreating theives, ducking around branches, twigs, muck, and shrubbery, not to mention having to take care of the random monster that spooked them. 

Finally, after an hour of blind traversing across the swampy forest, the trio couldn't find the theives. However, they spotted a different find that was more important than a gang of losers. That find was a little blond-haired girl, around seven, running in a panic away from a small building. Celine halted the frightened girl by shouting, "Cecille! You're all right, darling!" 

"Celine!? How did you get here? Who are these people?" the little girl quivered. Rena coaxed, "Don't worry, we won't hurt you. How did you manage to escape?" 

"I broke myself out, but the others are still trapped in there!" Cecille explained. Her voice's apitude was loud enough to attract a theif's attention, barking, "Hey! How did you get out, pip-squeak!?" 

"Apparently, she's a lot brighter than some bloke like you," Ashton taunted. 

"I didn't ask for your opi-" the theif began, but he was interrupted by a cry of, "Get 'im, Ururun!" The blue dragon growled, spouting ice-breath at the unfortunate soul, freezing him inside solid ice. "Serves him right. Are you okay, Cecille?" the swordsman asked. 

"I'm okay... can you go help the others? I'll direct you there!" the child sorceress asked, taking the lead for the trio to guide them. They stopped in front of a small wooden hut. Cecille forked out something shiny from her pocket and handed it to Rena. 

"Here's the key to the shack. The others are in there captive," she said. Rena unlocked the shack, freeing about three children from their rotten prison. One little boy exclaimed, "Are we being rescued!? Thanks!" 

"Stay with us, darlings. There might still be some theives looming around here, and I don't want any of you to be hurt by them," Celine advised, keeping a close watch on them. The children, Cecille, Batts, and Colin, all stayed huddled around the older warriors. But Ashton kept having a nigging feeling that something was wrong. Rena caught it and questioned, "Ashton, what's the matter?" 

"I can't be sure... but don't you think there's too few security around here? There were none at the shack." 

"But we beat them up! Why should you be worried!?" 

"It's just..." 

"Oh no! Are you suggesting-!?" Celine faltered, catching onto the swordsman's suspicion. 

"It was a trap! While we were ambushing the theives, Mars would've been attacked full-force!!!" Ashton exclaimed. The children whimpered in fear of what their parents were doing right now. Celine shouted, "Father! Mother! Come on, let's not be tarrying!" 

The group retraced their steps back to the village. No goons encountered them, and the children proved their skills by mediocre blasts of fire from Cecille, thunder from Batts, and water from Colin which helped the others fend off monsters that barred them from their main goal. As they neared the village, they could see fire and smoke rising into the sky. People screamed or casted spells to fend off the evil infecting their town. 

"We're too late!" Rena shouted. The children cried out that they wanted to rush into town and find their parents, but Celine and Ashton held them back. Rena caught sight of a cloaked figure, silhouetted darkly thanks to the flames, approaching them slowly. She eventually realized that the figure was the Master of Heraldry from the Elder's house oce his face became visible by the orange light of the fire. 

"Master!? Why aren't you helping Father!? Celine demanded angrilly. The Master remained silent, hugging something against his chest. Colin paid attention to the item, and gasped when he realized what it was. "Master! Why do you have the Book of Sealing!? You taught us never to touch it!" 

"Meanie!" Batts stuck his tounge out. 

"I see... the Master of Heraldry disgusised himself as a victim. The person with high Heraldic apitude to dispel the holy crests was you, am I right?" Ashton demanded cooly, Gyoro and Ururun narrowing their eyes simultaneously. 

"Attentive boy, I see," the Master remarked. 

"I can't believe it!" Celine raged, "You put the children's lives at stake, your little gang of theives are hurting Father, and you betrayed our trust as the village of Mars! I can't forgive you!" 

"Really? Maybe you'll change your mind after you see my real form!" he laughed, glowing a sinister green. Rena had a case of deja vu as the Master, not unlike Alen, transformed from a wizard to a ferocious green-furred beast. Unfortunately, none of them could see a source of his metamorphisis, so they assumed it was a spell he learned over the years. The beast tossed the Book of Sealing aside into the mud as he glared his eyes at the group. 

Everyone, even the children, readied themselves for battle. The Master launched himself at them, but they leaped away in various directions, a child teaming up with an adult to counter him from three different directions. Ashton and Batts went on the offensive, the child providing an extra thunder boost to the swordsman's blades. Ashton dug his deepest lacerations into the Master. The beast raised a clawed paw to chop Batts into pieces, but a combined fire spell from Cecille and Celine halted him. Gyoro even snickered as he added his part to the pyromania, breathing fire at the beast's fur and igniting it uncontrollably. 

Unfortunately, due to the carnage, some of the forest began to catch on fire. This was Colin and Ururun's chance to pitch in by dousing the flames before they lost control. Colin and Ururun easily had water/ice magic/breath available. Rena had trouble on figuring out how to add her fair share, her worry overcoming her. She could feel the mysterious pendant glowing again, catching her desperation as she focused her concentration on a healing spell. 

"Cure All!" she called, an etheral cross glowing in the middle of the battlefield. Everyone felt their wounds and burns close, silently thanking her as they continued to fight. A few, very LONG minutes of the insanity continued until the beast roared forlornly, sensing defeat. In act final act of vengeance, he swiped a bloody paw at Cecille's direction. The little girl screamed in terror, but Celine pushed her out of the way to receive the brunt herself! The sorceress gained three large, bloody slash marks in her back as she collapsed face-first into the mud. 

"CELIIIINEEE!!!!" Ashton screamed, furious at the beast's cowardice. The beast roared one final time before toppling on the ground, dead from his fur burning through his skin. Ashton cradled the unconscious Celine into his arms, calling to Rena, "Hurry up!" 

"Coming!" She rushed up to Celine and began pouring as much recovery magic as she possibly could handle in her state. The wounds were closing, but Rena was getting too exhausted to finish the job completely. At least the blood stopped flowing. Colin recalled the Book of Sealing and fetched it from the mud, hugging it to himself to protect it. The children creeped away from the burning corpse in fear, reuniting with their elder peers. 

"Let's go into town and see how everyone's doing!" Rena suggested emphatically. Batts declared proudly, "Lemme take lead. I'm _obviously_ the strongest one here!" 

"No, you're not!" Cecille complained as the two extroverts lead the party back into town. Colin was too shy to join in and stuck around with Rena and Ashton. Celine still hadn't woke. Once they arrived, they witnessed the last theif slaughtered by a Black Saber from Labe, exhausted and bruised from battle. She watched the forest party return from their rescue... Labe screamed at the sight of her injured daughter resting in Ashton's arms. 

"Celine! What happened to her!?" Labe shrieked. Ashton explained the situation to her. Labe weeped, "No... first Eglas... now Celine. Will I become a childless widow today!?" 

"You mean Eglas was injured in the line of fire?" Rena asked, trying to calm the frantic woman down. 

"Yes. He's resting at our house right now. We've driven off the ambushing theives, but not without casualties! Come, let's make haste... and bring the children with you!" 

****

In the master bedroom of the Jules residence, Celine and Eglas slept in seperate beds to recover their strength. It was likely that Celine would survive, but Eglas was a different matter. Fortunately, Labe had enough blackberries for Rena to eat, regaining her thoughts from the dizziness. The children were sitting quietly in the living room, waiting for any news about their families. 

"I'd like some silence, please," Rena requested. Labe and Ashton departed from the bedroom with prayers galore as Rena began casting healing spell after healing spell on Eglas and Celine. The two adults rested on an available couch, keeping the children company while he conversed his dilemma with Labe. 

"I see... so that's how you were possessed. Do you still blame Rena?" Labe wondered. 

"... I can't say I do. I was the one distracted. She suggested this village for it's Heraldry, and the possibility of a book on exorcism." 

"Now that you mention it, I recall reading one of the books at the Elder's house regarding the art. Of course, his books are forbidden from leaving his bookshelf, but I'm sure that your assisstance to Mars will be enough to grant you permission to borrow it." 

"Do you mean it!? That means..." Ashton wavered, elated from his hard work paying off. Gyoro and Ururun remained silent, since they discovered that no matter how much they nipped him, he was too stubborn to change his mind. 

"But what about the dragons? Don't you give them any consideration?" Labe asked, greatly concerned. 

"Why should I? They did this to me, so I'll do the opposite to them!" 

"I see... you must be tired. Stay the night here with us, I insist." 

"All right. It'll probably take Rena all night to recover your husband and daughter." 

****

Three days later... 

"*phew!* I don't want to see another sparkle of my recovery magic for a week!" Rena exclaimed, amazed that it didn't take one night to restore the injured sorcerers to health, but rather two nights. Not to mention the rest of the townspeople that survived... On the third morning, everything appeared to return stable. 

Labe had persuaded the Elder on the second day to lend Ashton the Book of Exorcism. The Elder immediately agreed, glancing over at the Book of Sealing resting on it's pedestal. Ashton now hugged his beloved book close to him as he and Rena prepared to depart from Mars. Celine considered joining them, but declined for many reasons, like respecting the dead sorcerers and attending their funerals. Also, she was an incredibly independent woman who enjoyed treasure hunting, which said enough. 

Labe, Eglas, and Celine followed Rena and Ashton to the front gate, waving them off before they journeyed forward. The atmosphere suggested a very heartfelt "Take care" before Rena and Ashton left, the latter pouring into the Book of Exorcism. 

"I'm glad the childrens' families were safe," Rena commented to distract Ashton, to no avail. He searched through tirelessly until he found the pages he desired. 

"Here it is! The chapter on exorcising dragons!" he emphatically cheered. 

"What does it say?" the girl queried, both of them reading the Scripture; 

_The one who has been possessed by dragons must dance in the sky, and cleanse himself with the tear of the Lord who Dances in the Sky. On the steep cliff surrounded by still water, deep inside mother, you may find the one who holds the throne of the Lord who Dances in the Sky. Issue forth a Challenge, obtain a glorious victory, and you may gain the Tear. Then, with the following incantation, the magical dragons shall perish in agony._

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	3. Rena and Ashton: An Alternate Destiny P...

  
  

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RENA AND ASHTON: AN ALTERNATE DESTINY

PART 3: THE POWER OF FOUR 

Rena raised a concerned eyebrow and stared at Gyoro and Ururun. "Perish in agony...? Doesn't that sound kind of extreme?" 

Ashton eyed her. "Maybe, but it's only scripture. Maybe they're overexaggerating. You know how those fanatic Heraldic-users tend to be when it comes to literature. Anyway, we have to figure out this riddle. What is the 'steep cliff surrounded by still water'?" 

Rena scratched her chin for a few seconds before smacking her palm. "I think I know what it is! You know Port Clik? There's a cliff that is said to harbour a sacred temple. Access is forbidden, unless you obtain permission from the King of Cross. The 'mother' must be this temple." 

Ashton and the dragons smiled at her memory. The swordsman then asked, "All right, so we go and find the 'throne', which must be a sacred object that carries the Tear." 

"Who is the 'Lord who Dances in the Sky'?" Rena wondered perplexedly. 

She looked away, so she didn't witness Ashton's expression becoming strange. His eyes changed from green to a mix of green and red. He muttered in a queer, mysterious manner, "The Lord is XINE. The Lord resides on the mountain where rare herbs grow." 

Rena bolted her head around in shock. By then, Ashton's expression returned to normal. "How did you know that!?" 

"Know what?" he asked. 

"Don't give me that! You said that we have to see the Lord at Mount Languss!" 

"What're you talking about?" 

Rena glanced at Ururun. The blue dragon appeared innocent. Upon noticing Gyoro, though, she found him sticking his head up indigniantly, mimicking innocence. She shook her head in disbelief. "So weird..." 

She trodded forward for Cross Castle. Ashton blinked, and the dragons laughed at his confusion. 

"What???" 

****

Eventually, the duo managed to obtain permission from the King of Cross to enter the Temple. They spent the night at the hotel, since they realized it was fast approaching dusk. Rena introduced Ashton to her Aunt Rachel, the owner of the Cross Inn. 

"Well now, my favourite neice has a boyfriend, doesn't she!?" Rachel exclaimed gaudilly. 

Rena blushed profusely. "He's NOT my boyfriend!!!" 

"Not your boyfriend, huh?" Ashton muttered. "I have the worst luck in the world..." 

"Did you say something?" 

"Not at all." 

Rachel inspected her bookings and found the last vacant room availible for them. She guided them to the specific room. Rena said, "Good night, Aunt Rachel." 

She entered the room. Rachel halted Ashton. If she was disturbed by the presence of Gyoro and Ururun, she didn't show it visibly. "Now you take GOOD care of my little Rena, okay young man?" she requested. 

Ashton felt uneasy. "Um... sure... Good night." 

"Good night, handsome!" 

He entered the bedroom, scratching his head. "You have such weird relatives." 

"I'm sorry. My mother cooks too much for guests and my aunt usually is a snoop. Then again, I can't say any different about myself!" she laughed, regarding her healing powers. 

Ashton paused before saying, "Rena, can I say something to you?" 

She became perplexed. "What is it?" 

"I've enjoyed travelling with you. I now have someone I can talk to who doesn't think I'm unlucky or freaky, especially with these two guys," Ashton announced. 

Rena nodded in agreement. "I've enjoyed travelling with you too. I feel sorry for you, with Gyoro and Ururun possessing you. But..." Rena lowered her head. 

"What's the matter?" 

"I just wish... I just wish you'd be more sensitive to their feelings. I mean, those scripture words truly scared me for them, regardless if it was ficticious exaggeration. I know you don't want to tolerate them forever, but... I just don't know anymore," she admitted. 

Ashton walked up to her and rubbed her head. "Hmm... well, it's almost like you possess more sympathy for them than me." 

"They're the ones going to die!" 

"But what if I die in the process as well? Have you ever considered that?" Ashton suggested. Rena shook her head at this revelation. "Anyway, I don't want to exasperate you. Tomorrow, we venture for the Temple of the Sky Lord." 

"All right." 

****

Rachel watched the exchange through the tiny keyhole, trying her best to keep her giggles to a minimum. 

_What a knight he is, rubbing her hair and comforting her like that! What proof that chivalry isn't dead! He'll make a fitting husband for her, if only he could get rid of those beasts on his back. My goodness! Poor man..._ she thought. 

Rachel tiptoed away before she could be discovered. 

****

The next morning, Rena awoke fresh and wide awake. She looked to over and kept her guffaws quiet at Ashton's contorted position in order to accomodate Gyoro and Ururun. The upper half of his body was almost ready to crash to the floor, while the dragons managed to hog the bed and blankets for themselves, sleeping like puppies invoked with a Sleep spell. 

_They're so Three Stooges, it's hilarious!_ she thought and crawled out of her bed, then kneeled next to Ashton's lopsided head, drool dripping from his mouth. "Hey, Sleepy! Rise and shine!" she hissed into his ear. 

"Guuh... Barrels and Saturday... Mommy, can't I play more with the green barrels? They're my favourite... aagghh..." he mumbled blissfully. 

**"ASHTON!!!"**

"Whuh? Ow!" he shouted, his head crashing to the floor. Gyoro and Ururun followed, along with a crumpled mess of blankets. He rubbed his head and blinked his weary eyes at Rena. "What was that for?" 

"Tee hee! You're so funny! Come on, let's get ready to go," she told him. Ashton stood up and scratched himself, the dragons still asleep on his shoulders. 

"Why don't you wake these two up? They could use a little reality check too," he muttered, pointing to them. Rena noticed that his boxers were rabbit designed and questioned inwardly who really needed the reality check. 

****

They thanked Rachel for the stay and were on their way. The trip was completed in pure silence except for battles against petty theives. Upon arriving at the Temple, they were halted by the King's guard. 

"Access to this Temple is forbidden," he warned monotonously. Rena presented him with the permission scroll. He nodded and stepped aside, remarking, "I see. You have permission. Do be careful in there, for many a warrior have come through and have either been paralyzed, stoned, or died from poison." 

Ashton trembled nervously. Rena giggled and said, "Ashy, YOU'RE the one who wants to exorcize them! Don't tell me you're a chicken!" 

"But it sounds scary... imagine the number of corpses..." he whimpered. 

_Fool... have you forgotton us?_ a voice questioned in his head. _We bonded with you and intend to keep you alive._

"What?" Ashton perked. Rena didn't notice, as she was busy leading the pair down the candle-lit corridors. He glanced at Ururun, who was still asleep on his shoulder. Gyoro was awake, so the swordsman guessed that it was the red dragon that spoke to him. 

They continued forward for an hour longer, becoming increasingly more and more lost in the labrynth of the Temple. Nothing happened until they stopped suddenly, hearing very awkward sounds... like slithering. 

"Uuughhh.... what's going on!?" Ashton whimpered. 

Rena narrowed her eyes. "The air is heavy." 

Slimy creatures creeped from the shadows. Some crumbling, hot dust landed on Ashton's cloak. 

"YEEEAAAARRRGGGHHHH!!!!" he screamed, clutching Rena's arm in a fearful daze. She skipped a heartbeat and shouted, "Ashton, what's wrong with you!? Get off me!" 

"Lamphrey men... they're out to get us!" he cried. Gyoro laughed steam from his throat, while Ururun shot awake from the swordsman's scream. The blue dragon blinked his eyes and nonchalantly breathed ice from his gullet at the advancing slime. 

_There. That oughta pay those bastards back for disturbing my beauty sleep,_ Ururun muttered mentally. 

_Hah! You've been asleep for 16 hours, you idiot!_ Gyoro shot back. The pair snapped at each other, fangs ablaze with the rage of rivalry. Ashton ducked his head underneath the fight. 

"Cut it out, you two!" he cried out. He tried to push the two heads back, with some success. Rena stepped to Ururun's side and petted him. 

"Look, how about I keep an eye on Ururun, while you keep tabs on Gyoro. I really don't want to waste a lot of time in here," she suggested. 

"Su... sure," Ashton mumbled, keeping his hand on Gyoro. 

_Lucky me! I got the cute girl! It must be the eyes,_ Ururun joked. 

_Maybe I should plead Ashton to exorcize you and have him keep me._

****

A shiny cup of silver marked the end of the group's dangerous route. Its polished exterior attracted Ashton, and any fear he had before dispersed in an instant. The dragons blinked in instantaneous recognization of the cup. 

_Hey, isn't that... XINE's Silver Goblet?_ Gyoro asked Ururun privately. 

_Well duh. Did you think they were going to try and catch her Tear with a barrel or something? At least Ashton packs some common sense not to do so. Where did he get such a strange obsession anyway?_ Ururun responded. 

_Humans are strange, yet creative creatures. Do you regret joining with him? _

No. But he wants to get rid of us. 

Nothing we can do about it. We're not the ones with the mobile body anymore. 

"We found it! The holy, sacred cup of my purification!" Ashton cried. He handled the cup with care. Rena applauded. 

"Good for you, Ashton! Now we can get out of here," she commented. 

"Noooo!!!" a third voice hissed. "Grave robberssss.... you will not get away from me!" A humanoid figure dropped from the ceiling, but it was quickly discovered that it appeared to be a female vampire, her polished fingernails sharp enough to slice through skin as if it was hot butter. 

Gyoro snickered. _Bitch. Hey Ururun, let's give the Humans a break and burn her to Hell where she belongs? _

I was about to say the same thing. Line stealer... Ururun muttered. Rena charged for the vampire and awarded a deft kick to her abdomen, knocking the wind out of her. 

"Nobody calls me a grave robber and gets away with it! Come on!" she shouted. 

"Arrgh! Prepare to meet your fate, littlun!" the vampire sneered and slashed at Rena. Her cheek exploded with blood, and the blue-haired girl fell onto her buttocks painfully. She held her cheek, trying to stop the flow of blood. 

"DIIIEEEE!!!" 

"No... now YOU die!" Ashton cried in that strange, possessed voice of his again. Like before, his eyes were now more red than green. He performed a Twin Stab, neatly dissecting her stomach. 

The vampire clutched her stomach, hiding the visible organs. Ashton sneered, "Foolish. Just foolish. What made you think that you could defeat the power of the legendary dragon?" 

Rena blinked. "Ashton?" 

His eyes reverted to an icy cool blue. "And she is naive. Perhaps I should spare her of her misery before her cries of pain annoy me any further." 

The Ururun-possessed Ashton sharpened his twin sabres sinisterly before charging. The vampire muttered her last strength to try and claw him, but he was too fast for her. Rena's gasp echoed the air as Ashton decapitated the woman vampire. 

The head spiralled into the air before smacking in a sick slop near a pillar. Rena tried her best to avert her eyes away from the abomination, but found herself feeling faint. Ashton, still possessed by Ururun, grabbed the Silver Goblet before noticing Rena collapsing. 

He caught her. Ururun told Gyoro audibly, "Well, I guess I better stick around and carry the Human girl out of here. If Ashton reverts back, he's going to faint like a sissy as well." 

_Good judgment. Fortunately, she isn't very heavy,_ Gyoro replied mentally. 

"I don't know. She could stand to lose some weight," Ururun commented as he controlled Ashton's body to carry Rena. 

_Better leave that between us..._

****

Ururun finally managed to carry Rena out of the Temple as Gyoro burned down any creepy crawlers that tried to bother them. The guard greeted them, saying, "Wow! I'm amazed you got out. Hey, is she okay?" 

"Don't worry, Human. She just felt faint. Nothing a little sleep can't remedy," Ururun said. He ignored the guard and continued his way forward. 

"Human...?" he repeated, perplexed. 

Gyoro snipped at Ashton's hair in annoyance. _You idiot! You were supposed to say 'Sir', not 'Human'! What's he gonna think of us now!?_

"Oh, calm down, you. He'll just think that Ashton's head is a little too high over the clouds or something," Ururun shot back. 

_Like it isn't already?_

"You were the one who suggested that we possess him back in the cave, so shut your complaining trap. Besides, I think the Human girl is about to wake up. I better get Ashton back here," Ururun said in a hurry. He slipped back to his dragon persona. Ashton returned to normal, thinking he had a long sleep... or was it sleepwalking? 

Rena moaned in his arms and blinked her eyes open. Ashton glanced down, surprised to find her in his embrace. "Rena? What's going on? Is your cheek okay?" 

"You... you acted like a cold-blooded monster back there. You decapitated that beast..." Rena muttered. 

"What're you talking about? I don't remember doing that!" he protested. "In fact, I don't remember carrying you! All of a sudden, I just fell asleep! Poof! Like that!" 

"Are you sure?" 

"Positive! Wait... Nah, that can't be. These two couldn't do much further damage than stick out from my back like blatant sores, right?" Ashton chuckled as he rubbed the Silver Goblet, motioning to Gyoro and Ururun. 

_Of course we wouldn't, Ashy! You know we're not THAT capable!_ Gyoro lied. 

_All we can do is use our breath and teeth as weapons!_ Ururun lied as well. 

"Hmm... I don't trust you two." 

****

Regardless of trust, Rena and Ashton found that they were capable enough to traverse to Mount Languss after the insanity in the Temple. They arrived at the base of the mountain, devoid of any thieves or human life, but rather wildlife and monsters. Rare herbs flourished, giving Rena quite a surprise. 

"Wow! Is this Clarisage? I heard that it's hard to grow because of the strict conditions!" she gasped, fondling the green plant but not picking it. 

"Yeah, I think Metox is the same, but cures harsh physical conditions," Ashton said. "Come on, we don't have time to be smelling the roses. Let's find the Lord of the Sky and make him cry!" 

"Um... okay..." 

Both pounded pavement towards a steep cliff that they were forced to climb. The jagged peaks almost made Rena give up due to abrasions, but after watching Ashton climb up flawlessly, she told herself not to give up and followed him. 

Ashton, with some help from the dragons, hoisted himself up onto firm land. Once he recovered his ground, he noticed something quite peculiar catching his gaze. It was a gargantuan nest of branches, twigs, mud, and stones resting at the edge of the cliff. 

"What is this!?" he wondered as Rena pulled herself up behind him. She breathed heavilly and healed her wounds before catching sight of the nest too. 

"Wow! It's huge!" she exclaimed redundantly. 

Ashton crossed his arms. "That's nice, but where is the Lord of the Sky?" 

"I am here," a third, echoing feminine voice replied from thin air. Rena became scared and clutched Ashton's arm as he unsheathed one of his sabres and held it defensively before him. 

A gigantic pheonix, with multicoloured feathers, swooped down above the pair, creating a breeze that almost swept them off their feet, but they held their ground. The pheonix then landed and rested within the nest. 

Rena blinked nervously at the beast before them, awed by its nature. "Are you the Lord of the Sky!?" she quivered. 

The bird narrowed her eyes as she gazed at the frightened girl. "Indeed. Why have you Humans come searching for me? Have you desired to test me as the Legendary Pheonix of Life and Growth?" 

Ashton's face grew determined, and his eyes changed to red. He gently pushed Rena aside, letting her collapse on her knees with awe. "So, we meet again, XINE." 

The bird, XINE, lowered her head to take a better look. "Why, it is you. The Legendary Two-Headed Dragon of Fire and Ice. Do not tell me you have stooped so low as to possess a lowly Human boy. Why did you do such a thing?" 

"To survive. Face it, XINE. Our glory as Legendary Beasts is waning on this world. If we remain isolated from the Humans that have dominated on this world, we will surely perish. That is what we realized before we made the choice to possess this boy," Ashton, or Gyoro, told XINE. 

Rena listened to the exchange for a few moments. She finally understood Ashton's strange behaviour. _It's the dragons! I knew it! It wasn't Ashton who did those cruel things to the vampire lady!_

"You fool," XINE snapped. "If you've symbiotically joined with him, that means your powers have decreased tenfold. Well, I guess I'll have to test you to find out if you still possess the glory you once had!" 

The Gyoro-possessed Ashton whipped his swords before him. "Very well. Let us prove to you the power of the Legendary Trinity!" 

"Ashton! No, Gyoro! Ururun! Please don't do this!" Rena cried out in desperation. 

Ururun turned his dragon head around and opened a telepathic link to Rena by the gem on his forehead. 

_Rena, we understand your concern, but this is a lost war that you cannot even fathom. XINE has become ignorant of the power of Humans, but we intend to prove it, even if Ashton wants to exorcize us when we win,_ Ururun told her. 

Rena stared down at the rocks in defeat. "... can't be... it's not fair..." 

Ashton jumped high, twirling in midair to avoid XINE's Master Attack. Gyoro breathed a hefty amount of tickling flames at her, lightly burning her feathers. They extinguished and the feathers returned to normal. Ururun issued forth a sub-zero stream of ice-water, freezing her in midflight. The ice cracked and shattered into millions of fragments. 

"Fool! I always feared that move, Dragon of Ice! Now you are pathetic!" XINE retorted. 

Ashton took this chance to hide behind swirling leaves and slash at XINE. He reappeared as the pheonix recovered herself. He dashed in a smooth movement and performed the deadly Sword Dance on her, wounding her with many deep gashes. They healed, but XINE was still woozy. 

She batted a wing against Ashton, throwing him against the rocks and cratering his form. He slumped down and clutched his head, then jumped high again before XINE could peck him to death. 

Meanwhile, Rena quivered at the destruction before her. _What do I do? If he wins, Gyoro and Ururun die, but if he loses... No! It's a lose-lose situation! Oh, dear Tria! Give me an answer! Please! I want to make everything well again! I can't... I can't do anything!_

She bent over in a heap, praying hard to the God of Creation for an answer. Rena cried, praying harder and harder. 

Suddenly, the words entered into Rena's mind, halting her distress. 

_The power of Humans. Physical strength is not the power of Humans._

"Physical strength is not the power of Humans... then what is?" she wondered. The voice did not say anything again. Rena looked up to see a battered Ashton laying on the ground in a mess of bruises and blood. 

"Are you down already? Legenday Trinity! What a joke!" XINE laughed. "Now, you will DIE!" XINE prepared her final Master Attack on the injured swordsman. 

Everything seemed to happen in slow-motion. Rena bolted from her kneeled position and dived to cover Ashton. She protected him as the flaming beak dived directly for her back. 

Silence. 

Impact. 

"EEEEEYYYAAGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Rena shrieked. 

XINE heard the helpless shriek and raised her head in surprise. "A Human... protected you!" 

"Rena!" Gyoro exclaimed as she fell unconscious. Blood now covered her backside, and some of it even dripped off XINE's beak. Ururun lowered his dragon head and noticed the dry tears on her cheeks, licking them dry. 

_They're salty and bitter. I never knew it until now,_ he replied. 

XINE remained silent. "What a feat. No Human would ever get in the way of my deadly attack. Why would she do such a thing?" 

The same voice that Rena heard echoed in everyone's minds now. 

_Physical strength is not the power of Humans. Innocent love is._

"Innocent love...? Even after the Legendary Dragon has killed many Humans, one will protect him? Hah hah hah..." the pheonix laughed weakly. "I see now. The fight was useless. No one would do such a thing for me." 

"XINE..." Gyoro muttered, still possessing Ashton. 

"I'm too ominous for protection, and perhaps too brave and proud. You've had to stoop not only your powers, but your hubiris as well. Very well, you have passed the test. I must give time to think about this," XINE said, before flapping her wings, rising into the sky. She squawked, but it was a mournful squawk. 

"Rena... Rena, are you okay?" Gyoro asked her, shaking her. No respose. 

The Silver Goblet sparkled as several droplets of water descended from the sky. They landed with expertly ease into the vase with splashes. 

"XINE's tears... the goal of these Humans. Heh, what a futile struggle," Gyoro chuckled. 

_What do you mean?_ Ururun asked. 

"You know damn well what I mean." 

_... right. Hey, bring Ashton back here, I'm sure he'll be glad and in despair._

"Indeed." Gyoro returned to his dragon self, and Ashton's eyes reverted to green again. He blinked, unsure of what happened. 

"Hey... Hey!!! Rena!!!" he shouted, noticing the gross amount of red. "Good, Tria! Answer me, Rena!" 

Nothing. 

_Hey, Ashton, check out what's in the Goblet!_ Gyoro said. 

"The Tears of the Lord of the Sky?" he wondered, perking up. He sloshed the water in the jar to be sure. "It's true... but what happened? I suddenly fell asleep!" 

_I have to tell you the truth. Ururun and I have the ability to take over your mind, but XINE was too powerful a foe for just you. Look at Rena's condition and tell me if I did the right thing,_ Gyoro said. 

Ashton sighed heavilly. He remembered his true goal all along; to get rid of Gyoro and Ururun. However, deep inside, maybe even innately, that desire seriously began to wane. Was he not interested in becoming a normal young man again? 

_Well, you gonna get rid of us or something?_ Ururun asked impatiently. 

"I have a choice, you two. I can either get rid of you two and have Rena die of her wounds, or give the Tears to Rena to let her live, while letting you two live as well. I was too selfish, always alone and concerned about myself, but now, I have someone who likes me. Someone who disregards my barrel fetish AND you two for the man deep within. Death of three beings at my hands is not my choice." 

_You mean-?_

"That's right. I've lost interest in getting rid of you guys. I want Rena to live," Ashton declared, handling the Silver Goblet. He poured every bit of XINE's tears onto Rena's bloody back. The blood quickly dispersed and the ugly wound closed itself. 

"What kind of tears are these!? They're miracles!" he gasped. 

_They are the tears of the pheonix Goddess of Life and Growth. You remember the rare herbs growing here? They are her creations. Naturally, her sacred tears would heal any wound, disease, or ailment, plus aid in magical healing, like exorcizing,_ Ururun explained. 

"I see..." 

"Oooh...." Rena woke up slowly. "My body... it's so numb..." 

"Thank Tria! You lived!" Ashton hugged her. 

"I lived... but how?" 

"I decided to use the Lord's Tears to cure you instead of getting rid of Gyoro and Ururun." 

"Oh no! All that effort for nothing! Why, I thought you wanted to get rid of them!" 

"Don't misunderstand, this all wasn't for nothing. It was either three deaths or no deaths. I chose no deaths because those three deaths would've been my friends. I hate blood on my hands of those I love," Ashton said. 

"....." 

"Rena?" 

"... thank you." 

"I love you." 

"I love you too." 

_Heey! Looks like we've got ourselves a 'Love Triangle'!_ Gyoro laughed. 

_Tria, the world would be better without your silly puns!_ Ururun sighed. 

_Like you could do any better? _

Make me! 

Ashton laughed at their display that only he could hear. Rena blinked, then giggled with him for the sheer joy of it. 

***THE END***


End file.
